Can you think of any nursing heroes? Of course there is Florence Nightingale and Edith Cavell but when I was asked these were the only two I could think of. When I did my training there were some sisters we admired and tried to emulate in our own practice because they stood out from the many sisters that we came across. Now, however, with nursing studies being university based rather than hospital based, nursing students aren’t subjected to qualified nurses they can look up to.
A project started at Central Queensland University by the Professors of Nursing and Creative Industries are looking at storytelling heroes in nursing. The first of what will hopefully be a series has been published on youtube. A bit of a buzz for me doing the first narrative.
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Thanks Sally. Yes it is a good idea. I think they are exposed to them but for such short periods. By the time they are working the wards themselves they are it. Cheers Irene
lol he told her he had nothing but she didn’t believe him, so she and another nurse caught the ship out … he lived in the middle of Royal National Park in those days 16 miles from Lotus station without power or any facilities!
I was a hospital trained nurse. In the seventies in country hospitals it was still considered a vocation. Ellen Savage certainly was a hero. And that is a great narrative tribute!
Ah. Those were the days of caps and starched uniforms and hospital meals. I remember them well. Did you have to live in at the Nurses Quarters? Gosh it sounds so regimented now.
Yes we had to live in the nurses home which was controlled by a tartar home sister. We replaced one parent with another – I don’t know who was stricter but it sure was regimented. But you look back and think – they were the days.
What a brilliant idea, Irene, and OMG, what a hero in Sister Ellen Savage. I read a book about the hospital ships – these were from England – and they were no picnic. Would you mind if I reposted this on my blog?
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
A brilliant idea Irene and I do think that it is a shame that nurses today are not exposed to the best..best wishes Sally
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Thanks Sally. Yes it is a good idea. I think they are exposed to them but for such short periods. By the time they are working the wards themselves they are it. Cheers Irene
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Impressive, well done you! And what a nice way to remember our nurses
… that’s how my grandparents met!
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Thanks Kate. Were they both nurses or met during the war?
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no Nana was the UK nurse, Pop was the ozzie wounded soldier … guess many met that way!
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I think they probably did. Still I love any romance.
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lol he told her he had nothing but she didn’t believe him, so she and another nurse caught the ship out … he lived in the middle of Royal National Park in those days 16 miles from Lotus station without power or any facilities!
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Hahaha. Still they made it. They made them tough in those days.
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that’s for sure!
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Very interesting!
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Thanks Dawn. I’m looking forward to stories further down the track of those previously unknown tales.
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March is National Women’s Month here in the states. I do a series of posts and tag them #CelebratingWomen. I’m always looking for women to feature.
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What a great idea to do for the month. We have a similar occasion but I think it happens later in the year.
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Ours coincides with the Girl Scout week and I used to have a troop. I would plan activities for them to celebrate both.
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I was a hospital trained nurse. In the seventies in country hospitals it was still considered a vocation. Ellen Savage certainly was a hero. And that is a great narrative tribute!
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Thank you. You must have trained around the time I did. I considered it a vocation at the time.
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I started my training in 1979. What about you?
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I started 1974. Such a long time ago now.
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Ah. Those were the days of caps and starched uniforms and hospital meals. I remember them well. Did you have to live in at the Nurses Quarters? Gosh it sounds so regimented now.
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Yes we had to live in the nurses home which was controlled by a tartar home sister. We replaced one parent with another – I don’t know who was stricter but it sure was regimented. But you look back and think – they were the days.
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What a brilliant idea, Irene, and OMG, what a hero in Sister Ellen Savage. I read a book about the hospital ships – these were from England – and they were no picnic. Would you mind if I reposted this on my blog?
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No I don’t mind if you repost it Noelle. In fact I’d love it if you did. Thanks.
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Wow, what a story about Sister Ellen.
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Thanks Charli. Flash fiction skills certainly helped in the writing of this piece.
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